Trumpeter, singer, and musical arranger, Andrew Distel is a Stitely Entertainment Renaissance man. An asset to all of our event bands, Andy is a great musician who enhances any event on which he is booked. We caught up with Andy during a brief respite from his very busy schedule.

Stitely Entertainment: How did you become involved with music?
Andrew Distel: I was always singing growing up. I took piano lessons for a bit and then started taking trumpet lessons in the 5th grade. I was always the one to ask my parents about lessons and joining various ensembles.

SE: Who or what inspired you to be a professional musician?
AD: Hard to say. Mostly it was strong encouragement and support from family and music teachers.

Dan Gin Photography

SE: What was your first concert?
AD: I’m sure it was a school band concert. The first one I remember was one that I had to play a trumpet solo on in the 6th grade- “Marche des Rois.”

SE: What are the five songs you’re listening to the most right now?
AD: Jamiroquai- “Cosmic Girl,” Jorge Ben- “Mas Que Nada,” Blue Mitchell- “Sir John” and “Sweet Pumpkin” and Lily Allen- “LDN”

SE: Do you have any regular gigs?
AD: Every Friday night at The Peninsula. It is a great quartet gig-piano, bass, drums and myself singing and playing trumpet. All standards- lots of fun!

SE: Do you play in any other groups? Tell us about them.

AD: I sing with the Lakeside Singers, lead my own group when I can and all sorts of things that tend to come my way. For example, thisweekend I did the contracting and sang with the singers for a male gospel quartet backing up an Elvis tribute show (and had to transcribe a ton of charts!). So all sorts of varied things end up coming across my “musical desk,” so to speak.

SE: If you could share the stage with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be?

Weird Al Yankovic

AD: Weird Al Yankovic

SE: You are stuck on a desert island forever. Which three albums do you want with you?
AD: Sinatra Live at the Sands, Mahler 5– Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Ruben Blades– Siembra. But in reality, I would just have my iPod and a solar charger.